Network-attached storage (NAS) is the common name for a category of file-level computer data storage that is configured to be connected to a computer network and to provide data access to a heterogeneous group of clients. A NAS not only operates as a file server, but is specialized for this task either by its hardware, software, or configuration of those elements. NAS devices are often manufactured as specialized computers built from the ground up for storing and providing access to files.
NAS devices are networked appliances that may contain one or more hard drives, which are often arranged into logical, redundant storage containers or RAID. Network-attached storage removes the responsibility of file serving from other servers on the network. Of late, NAS devices have emerged as a popular and convenient way to share files among multiple computers. Compared to file servers, NAS device offer faster data access, easier administration, and simple configuration. They typically provide access to files using network file sharing protocols such as NFS, SMB/CIFS, or AFP. Typically, however, NAS devices are specialized devices that are configured to store, serve and manage files. While the processors of NAS devices have more than adequate processing power to administer a file system, they may not be as computationally capable for other tasks as the processors of the client devices accessing them.